|
 |
Unlimited potential
|
| By: Melissa Turner, News Editor |
July 28, 2009 |
|
A group of young men from Tate County are truly "going for the gold" this week.
Ryan Campbell, Antavius McGhee, and Jarvis and John-Michael Hankerson, will join athletes from all across the nation at the USATF Junior Olympics in Greensboro, North Carolina, starting tomorrow.
This is the first year for Tate County to have a presence at the games.
The runners are coached by Reggy Hankerson, son of legendary Coldwater High School track coach John Hankerson. They are part of a larger Track Unlimited team which includes runners from across the Mid South.
They often practice at the track named after their coach's father, recently completed and dedicated to his legacy.
Kim and Doug Campbell, Ryan's parent, say having a state-meet quality track in Tate County makes training for these events much easier.
Ryan, a ninth grader at Magnolia Heights, got into track thanks to Arthur Avant and his annual athletic camp. He also runs track at Magnolia Heights and plays several other sports there as well.
He has won two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals in Track Unlimited events so far. His event at the Junior Olympics is the Intermediate Boys 4x4 relay.
Antavius McGhee, son of Jerome and Patricia Blackburn of Coldwater, has two gold medals to his credit on the high jump, and will participate in the Intermediate Boys high jump this week.
Antavius also runs track at Coldwater High School, where he has placed first in the district and third in the state in the high jump.
Jarvis Hankerson, son of Coach Reggy and Janell Hankerson, will run in the Youth Boys 4x400 relay this week, and his little brother John-Michael will run in the Midget Boys 4x100 relay.
The Hankerson brothers have 15 medals between them.
In addition to being the son of a track coach, Reggy Hankerson coached track at Coldwater High School for several years himself, and has volunteered as a coach at Horn Lake High School for the past five years.
The team practices five days a week, approximately three hours per day, either at CHS or at Southwind High School in Memphis.
To make it to the Junior Olympics, they had to qualify at preliminary, association, and regional competitions.
Many of the young athletes who compete at this week's games will be future Olympians themselves.
Ranging in age from 8-18 years old, the junior olympians will participate in opening ceremonies, just like their older counterparts every four years.
They are sponsored by Track Unlimited professional runners, including Coldwater native Trell Kimmons, Bianca Knight, and Michael Rogers.
No matter the outcome of this week's events, Coach Hankerson says that the experience of competing on this level, and the relationships formed with other athletes, is invaluable to these young men.
|
|
©The Democrat 2010
|
|
|
